Expired domain, redemption period or quarantine: what it means and how to get your domain back

Domain quarantine is the period in which a cancelled or unrenewed domain name is still held by the registry, the organisation that runs the extension. For .nl, .be and .eu it lasts 40 days: during that time only the previous registrant can get the name back, and nobody else can register it. For .com and most other generic extensions the same safety net is called the redemption period. Your website and email on that name have already stopped working by then, so if the customer portal shows Expired, Redemption period or Pending delete for your domain, create a support ticket straight away.

Below you can read what each status in the portal means, how long each extension holds a name, how to get your domain back and how renewals work at LJPc, so your domain keeps running.

What does your domain status in the customer portal mean?

You find the status on the page of the domain. Log in to the customer portal, go to Services > Domains and click the name: the status is at the top, next to the domain name. The list itself does not show a status. The portal takes the status from the registry, such as SIDN for .nl. Need help logging in? See log in to the customer portal.

A cancelled domain often gets two statuses from the registry at once, for example redemption period and pending delete. The portal then shows Redemption period, because as long as that period runs you can get the name back. So a cancelled .nl or .be domain in quarantine shows up as Redemption period. Once the name has been deleted for good, it disappears from your list under Services > Domains.

Is your domain not in the portal at all? Then it is not registered with us, or it sits on another account, for example your web designer's. To find out which provider has your domain, see who manages my domain, and contact that provider as soon as you can.

What is domain quarantine?

At LJPc a domain name runs per year. If it is not renewed, or you cancel it, the registry does not release the name right away. It first holds it for a while: for .nl, .be and .eu this is called quarantine, for .com and other generic extensions the redemption period. That gives you a chance to undo a forgotten renewal or a cancellation you regret, and stops anyone else from grabbing your name in the meantime.

During that period:

• Your website and email stop working. The name no longer points to your server, so your website is unreachable and email to addresses on that name does not arrive: senders get an error message back.
• Only the previous registrant can get the name back. It then returns with the same registrant details as before.
• Nobody else can register the name. It is only released after the quarantine or redemption period, and then it goes to whoever registers it first.

Your hosting plan and mailboxes with us are a separate subscription and are not tied to the registration. They stay in place as long as that subscription runs, and become reachable again once your domain is back and points to your hosting again. How domain names and hosting run as separate services is explained in cancel a domain or hosting plan.

How long does quarantine last per extension?

When exactly a name is released after this period, and how to claim a name someone else lets expire, is covered in domain backorder. For the generic extensions, ICANN explains the rules in its FAQ on domain renewals and expiration.

How do you get your domain back?

1. Check whether your domain is with LJPc. In the portal, go to Services > Domains. If it is not there, contact the provider where your domain is registered.
2. Has the end date of your subscription not passed yet? If you cancelled the domain and the subscription is still running, switch it back on yourself with Reactivate under Financial > Subscriptions. Your domain then keeps running as before. See cancel a subscription in the customer portal.
3. Does it say Expired, Redemption period or Pending delete? Create a support ticket straight away and include the domain name. We will look at what is still possible with you. The sooner you let us know you want the name back, the more time there is.
4. Check your website and email afterwards. Once the domain is back, make sure your website and email work again. Want to put the domain in another person's or organisation's name afterwards? Use a change of registrant.

If the name has already been released and nobody has registered it yet, you register it as a new domain, as described in register a domain and link it to your hosting. If someone else has registered it, the Whois shows whose name it is in. With a backorder you can have it registered as soon as it becomes available again; the backorder article above explains how.

How do domain renewals work at LJPc?

• Automatically, every year. Auto-renewal is switched on for every domain you register with us or transfer to us. As long as the subscription runs, we renew your domain every year without you having to do anything.
• You can see when and how much. Under Financial > Subscriptions your domain is listed as its own subscription. Type your domain name in the search bar above the list. Next payment shows when the next yearly invoice is due, Amount what you pay per year.
• The invoice. Around the Next payment date you receive the invoice for the new year. With direct debit, the amount is collected automatically; otherwise you pay through the payment link in the email or in the portal, as explained in pay invoices in the customer portal.
• Stopping. Don't need a domain any more? Cancel its subscription. After the end date we no longer renew it and it lapses as described above. There is a one-month notice period: cancel less than a month before the renewal date and the domain runs for another year.

How to keep your domain online

• Keep the subscription running. Auto-renewal takes care of the rest.
• Check what runs on a domain before you cancel it. Your email addresses on that name go with it. If you use one of those addresses to log in to other services, change it there first.
• Transfer before the end date. Moving your domain to another provider? Request the transfer code in good time. A domain with the status Redemption period or Pending delete cannot be transferred. The steps are in get your EPP code and transfer your domain.
• When in doubt, check the portal. Got an email from an unknown company saying your domain is about to expire, with a payment link? Check your subscription in the portal first. What it says there is correct.